Highest rate of murder per capita (country), 100,000 people

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According to the Global Study on Homicide 2013, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the country with the most homicides per capita is Honduras in Central America. In 2012, the country saw 90.4 murders per 100,000 people – almost 1 in 1000 of its 8.1-million population. In second place was Venezuela with 53.7 murders per 100,000 during 2012.

The country with the highest absolute number of murders was Nigeria, with 33,817 incidents reported for 2012, equating to 20 per 100,000 of its population. In second place was Mexico with 26,037 murders in 2012, or 21.5 per 100,000. Perhaps surprisingly, the USA was some way down the list, with 14,827 recorded incidents for 2012 (4.7 per 100,000). Meanwhile, the UK seems idyllically peaceful in comparison with 653 murders reported (for 2011; 2012 statistics not yet available) – just 1 per 100,000.

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